Swamp buffalo
(most common name)

(local/other name):
• krabei (Cambodia)
• krabey (Cambodia)
• kerbau-Rawa (Indonesia)
• kwai (Thailand)
• kywe (Myanmar)
• shui niu (China)
• Trau Noi (Viet Nam)
local/other name (Dutch):
• karbouw (Indonesia)

Swamp buffalo are a type of water buffalo.

The Swamp buffalo has crescentic horns — meaning they are shaped in a single curve, like a crescent moon.

The Swamp buffalo’s head is sometimes used in ritual ceremonies at the start of construction of new buildings in Indonesia. Their horns are also used by Javan artisans in the making of handicrafts.

Swamp buffalo are very important in Southeast Asia for their contribution as a domestic animal used mainly for work, and increasingly for meat and milk production.

NOTE: In zoological classification, buffalo remain a separate species from common cattle. Bison also share common base characteristics (i.e. even-toed ungulate ruminants) and branch off in genus (which falls below family and above species) from common cattle and yak.

(Chinese) shui niu = water cattle

(Indonesian) kerbau-Rawa = swamp buffalo

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-20

You can also go to:

My Daily Cow® Southeast Asia and read about other Southeast Asian bovines.

The Cow Wall® A-Z Cattle Breed Picture Reference to see other breeds of cattle in the world.